Once again Elizabeth found herself at the monastery. It was like a magnetic pull. Half had to do with the magical scenery… As for the other half? Jason Morgan was definitely the one to blame.

She knew little about the man and, at times, had her suspicions if he even liked her. Sometimes, things were so clear between them. Like he felt an ounce of what she was feeling, something inert and hard to explain…something that overwhelmed her whenever she looked into his eyes. And then there were the other times—the times he ignored her and kept his distance; the times when he was like a blank slate, when she couldn’t decipher what he was feeling or if he even felt at all.

But there was something…alluring about his presence. It was like every time he was around things made sense. She got what the point was. She was even able to focus for more than two seconds. If she didn't know better, she'd almost call him her inspiration.

The wind was blistering her sensitive skin and the snow, blowing from drifts in the woods, was coating it in shiny drops as it melted, but Elizabeth didn't seem to notice. She was so engulfed in yet another sketch that it barely registered how far she'd wandered.

Perched on a fallen tree, she sketched the half-frozen streams. The ice struggled to move in the swift current, breaking apart and sailing away, reflecting the sun in a flashing kaleidoscope of color.

The rocks shimmered like flakes of onyx under their watery blanket, winking at her. She smiled back, wistfully.

The sun was on her back. She could feel the heat soaking through her coat and the rays dance on her neck where her hair was pulled to the side. Although, it was still cold and wet, the sky was clear and without the disruption of clouds the light had held steady and kept her warm enough to enjoy a leisurely afternoon. It was later now. Much later than she thought. But the woods were calm and comforting. There was no sulfurous odor like there was on the harbor. Everything was clean and fresh-smelling and Elizabeth breathed it in with willing satisfaction.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, her one-time adventure into the cooking world had landed her with an injury to her finger. And, at present, the twinge of pain was a pesky reminder of how neglectful she had been with her knife and how Jason had taken charge of the situation. Not that she minded, really, but what disturbed her most was the closeness.

It had been a couple of days and she could still feel his hot breath on her neck and his rough hands on her hips. If she didn't know better, she could have sworn he was going to kiss her. Shaking her head, she straightened out the damp pages that had begun to furl and proceeded to sketch, ignoring her cut finger in its unsavory white bandage.

The trees creaked when they shifted in the wind. It seemed the forest was alive with the sound of nature, happily chirping birds and furrowing woodland animals. Everything seemed normal and yet something felt off. Packing up her things, Elizabeth pulled her mittens over her slender finders to warm them. She stood. Listened. The sound of snow and leaves underfoot made her take notice.

"Hello?" she called, knowing it was probably just Jason spying on her and that he wouldn't answer her anyway. "It's not working, Morgan. Go back and tell Sonny I'm fine and to stop sending you to check up on me."

She waited.

Silence.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood. Her skin tingled with goose bumps and her face drained of color.

Her voice was soft, unsure. "Jason?"

Surely Jason would have shown himself by now, especially after the last time he'd snuck up on her and gotten a knee to the groin.

Jason knew better.

That was the thought that had her walking down the path from whence she came. She moved quickly; didn't run or jog, just walked as fast as her legs would take her.

Somewhere along the way she'd missed a turn.

Damn, she had no sense of direction!

Backtracking, her legs wobbled. She slowed her pace. Her heart was racing and she had no way to justify the terror that was starting to overwhelm her.

"Stop it, Webber!" she said aloud, softly, trying to calm her nerves.

Spotting a clearing in the woods, she moved toward it, stopped in her tracks when she heard the sound of a branch snap.

She wasn't alone.

Without second thought, she broke into a run, dashing through the forest like it was about to swallow her up. Ignoring the branches that stung her cheeks and brushed her clothing, Elizabeth darted in and out amongst the huge evergreens and smaller bushes.

She looked back, hoping to spot the person that had spooked her.

Big mistake.

Her leg connected with a deeply buried root sticking out from the ground. The instant she came into contact with it, a slicing plain ripped through her body. She tumbled to the ground, stretching out her hands to brace herself against the full impact of the fall. She landed hard with a resounding oomph!

She pounded the ground with her fist. "Damn it!"

Rolling over onto her back, she closed her eyes and bit her lip against the tingling sensation zip-lining through her system. She took a moment to rest, to calm her breathing. It was difficult getting back onto her knees, but once she did she hissed from the pain. Her books were scattered and her sketch book laid two feet away, absorbing the mushy wet snow. She crawled toward it, snapping it shut and wiping the residue on her coat. But it was no use. Everything was wet. Gathering her charcoal pencils and her art text, she haphazardly shoved them back into her book bag and slung it over her shoulder.

Pushing herself to get up, she used her strength to maneuver herself to a standing position. She tried to dust off the cool snow, already seeping into her jeans, with little success. She was sopping wet.

There was something rustling behind her. For a second she had forgotten what she had been running from. There wasn’t time to assess herself for injuries. She already knew from the pain, when she attempted to stand tall, that she’d banged up her leg pretty good.

The adrenaline kicked in again and she took an unsure step. And then another. And another. Blocking out everything that was happening behind her, she focused on moving—moving as far and as fast from the shaded area as possible. There was light coming from up ahead and she focused on it, making it her goal. She just needed to reach that one stretch of opening and she knew she would be okay. She moved, one step in front of the other, until she was engulfed in the light she’d been seeking. Whatever had been behind her was gone now.

She hobbled the rest of the way out of the dense woods until she reached the gardens of the estate. Taking one last look behind her, a dozen birds spooked and flew off a branch just behind her, making her already pounding heart work overtime. Her chest was tight and burning for oxygen when she turned around and ran smack into the hard wall that was Jason Morgan.

His hands clamped around her waist. His breath fanned over her cheek and his eyes zeroed in on her quivering mouth. Spent and exhausted, she rested her head against the column of his throat, feeling his pulse race under her cheek. Realizing seconds too late what she was actually doing, she burrowed even further into his embrace from embarrassment.

Conjuring up some bravery, she lifted her eyes to his and offered him a small, slightly scared, attempt at a smile.

Jason's eyes were warm and concerned and Elizabeth felt an overwhelming sense of trust well up inside of her.

"I'm all right. I just fell. I feel so stupid. I thought someone was watching me or something and I guess I freaked myself out," she explained.

Jason didn't seem to hear her or, if he did, he was ignoring her chatter. His hands probed her arms for broken bones. Satisfied to see there were none, he crouched down and took a hold of her leg. Her pants were ripped and the blood was already making a stain.

He reached to touch her, ever so lightly, but the blinding pain flared once again. She winced and moved away from his hand, becoming off balance. On instinct she grabbed him around the neck to steady her.

"I told you I was clumsy." She blushed, still clutching the leather of his jacket. Her heartbeat was still quick and her pulse raced against her ears. "Besides, this is all kind of your fault, you know?”

Jason, from his crouched position, quirked a brow in question.

“Yeah. Don’t look at me like that. It is. Seriously. You and Sonny have me all, like, on edge about your grandfather! I hear a noise—probably a freakin’ bird or something—and I jump out of my skin! And now look! These were my favorite pair of pants! I’m not meant to run, Jason. I’m just not! In third grade we had to do track and field for PE in the gym because it was raining that day and I ran into the wall! The concrete wall. It hurt. Sorta like it hurts right now. Ow!"

She was babbling again. Man, he loved when she did that.

Jason stood, lifting her slightly when he did. His eyes were large, wide and the most wonderful blue she'd ever seen.

Whatever Elizabeth was going to say next was lost.

He took her hands from around his neck and held them. Taking off her gloves, he rubbed his thumbs over the delicate skin of her palms. His hands were so large compared to hers and well worn-in, but his touch was gentle and sure. It made her feel like he could take away everything, every problem she'd ever had, just by touching her the way he did.

Her hands were soft and delicate next to his and it took everything in him not to bring them to his mouth and kiss every finger and inch of skin until he knew them just as intimately as she did. Her hair was out of place and her breath came in exaggerated pants. And so help him if he didn't think that was the way she'd look after he'd made love to her.

The sight of blood from the cut she'd endured while trying to cook for Sonny brought him back to reality and he reigned in his ever-growing imagination.

The sound of his breathing and the feel of his skin against hers almost overtook the unexpected warning bells when she felt Jason lifting her sleeves to check for scratches on her arms. Elizabeth pulled out of his grasp.

"What are you doing?" she asked, rolling her sleeves back down and ignoring the hurt look that contorted his handsome face.

Slightly fazed by her reaction, he slowly took her hand again and examined the now blood-stained gauze on her finger. Arching his eyebrows together he let out a stream of breath and dropped her hands. She let them fall to her sides.

The skin on her face had been scratched and was oozing bright red blood. Jason tenderly rested his fingers against the marred skin. A look of sympathy passed his face.

Elizabeth warmed to his touch, closing her eyes on a breathless sigh. His fingers were gentle while they traced the smeared lines. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised he was looking back at her. He was so close. All she would have to do was look up and have him lean in and then their lips would touch. She could feel the warm burst of his breath against her forehead and despite herself, she shivered. His eyes were a warm glow of blue and his mouth was ripe. Just one little inch, one small movement forward and she would be done for.

She tilted her chin up and she could have sworn she saw desire flicker in his eyes. He took a step and the next thing she knew she was in his arms. He carried her close to his chest like one would with a baby. Making it seem like she weighed nothing at all.

"I can walk. I’m not an invalid for God’s sakes!" she protested half-heartedly.

He eyed her skeptically and kept walking, seemingly unburdened by her weight, toward the house.

“This is very barbaric of you, I hope you realize. Kind of caveman-esque.”

Jason grunted in response and she had to laugh.

Truth be told, the sting of the cut on her leg was getting worse and she was glad for the relief. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she unconsciously buried her face against his shoulder.

It was a perfect fit and something about the entire situation felt right.

Kicking open the door, they were met by Sonny.

“Hi, Sonny,” she whispered, feeling like an idiot.

Sonny’s jaw dropped and he made no move to respond.

They passed the kitchen and made their way to the living room. Jason eased her down on the couch. Her heart fluttered wildly against her chest. “Well, I suppose a couch is better than some dank cave. Promise not to pound on your chest in victory and maybe I’ll even thank you.”

Jason smiled. It felt so warm and comforting. She'd never realized how long she'd yearned to see it. It was just a slow crease of his lips, a simple gesture. But it could only be described as shyly sexy. And that was kind of how she’d come to see Jason. He was this big guy with all these beautiful muscles, but he had this softness to him, especially in his eyes, in the way he looked at her. It was this shy searching look that always made Elizabeth feel like she was just a little off-balance.

Her smile mirrored his and when he turned away, she felt a little dizzy.

Dishrag slung over his shoulder, and Kleenex box in hand, Sonny crossed paths with Jason, who was on his way to get the first aid kit.

"Is she all right?"

Jason gave a curt nod and continued on his path.

"Elizabeth, what happened?" Sonny sat at the bottom of the couch and looked down at her battered leg.

Elizabeth waved off his concern. "Oh, there's no need to worry. I just tripped over a stump and landed pretty hard on my leg."

"I'll say. Let me go make some hot chocolate and I'll bring you back a blanket to warm you up."

"Oh no, really, I'm fine… Besides, you're sick. You don’t need to take care of me."

"Elizabeth, please let me do something for you. And, besides, I'm feeling better."

"Sonny."

"Please, Elizabeth, don't argue. You must be freezing."

Elizabeth eyed herself, realizing she was soaking wet, and for the first time since running into Jason, she felt the chill right down to her bones.

"Thanks, Sonny. That would be nice."

"My pleasure."

He gave her one of his trademark grins, dimples and all, and moved away to the kitchen.

Closing her eyes she rested her head on one of the throw pillows behind her. The way Sonny constantly doted on her made her feel special, like she belonged and it had been a long while since she felt that way.

When she opened her eyes again, Jason had just come back into the room. His eyes twinkled when they met hers. Kneeling beside her, his hands fumbled with the first aid kit. Finding scissors, he seemed to hesitate.

"Go ahead, I don't mind," Elizabeth said, giving him permission to cut the material.

Given approval, he cut a slit in the fabric of her jeans and cleared enough away so he could get a better look at the wound. His face was tight and he grimaced.

The cut looked like it hurt and was deeper and more jagged than he'd originally anticipated. He held up the bottle of antiseptic so she could see it before he dabbed it on a bunch of cotton balls. When he applied the liquid to her knee, she sucked in a breath and he could see from the corner of his eye that she was trying to stop a tear from rolling down her cheek. He blew gently on the wound and then reached up and thumbed away her tear.

It was a move she wasn't expecting and her eyes widened in shock.

Jason didn't remove his hand right away and again she felt a sense of warmth and security rush into her system.

She rolled her eyes. "I guess you should be happy about this… Now that I’m incapacitated and all, I can’t exactly cause the trouble you’re used to. Well, at least now you're not at risk for getting a knee to your groin. I apologized for that, right?" She laughed nervously and bit her bottom lip when he didn't turn away.

Jason slowly smiled at that and it made Elizabeth oddly happy.

"I like when you do that," she said softly, aware of the heat in her cheeks even when the words tumbled out of her mouth.

Looking away, a blush came to the tips of his ears and his face seemed to tighten.

Covering the cut in a large square bandage, Jason got more cotton balls and took her hand, removing the old gauze and cleaning her cut finger. It had healed some and he used a band-aid to cover it back up.

Still holding onto her hand, he gave her a moment to relax before he dabbed some more cotton balls with antiseptic. He slowly applied them against her cheek, wiping away the drying blood and disinfecting the small spider-web scratches.

Christ, she was soft. He lowered his head just a little so his nose almost touched her unruly curls. He could smell that same sweet perfume she always wore and he breathed it in.

What he wanted to do was not entirely decent. He wanted to stick out his tongue and explore every inch of her flesh to find out where that scent came from and if she tasted as sweet as he believed. The thought shocked him.

"Jason," she murmured.

The word hit him hard in his stomach and his head moved lower, closer to her skin. His hand still cupped her face.

She squeezed his other hand and was thankful he was there. Her eyes rested on his lips, those strong, full lips that were so close to her own.

His hand slid to the back of her neck and massaged the muscles there. It was almost beyond his control when he began to pull her head forward toward his.

She felt so delicate, not weak, not small or insignificant, but like something desired. She felt like the kind of woman she always wanted to be. It was like she had succeeded in becoming the woman that made men weak in the knees and left them breathless. Before she could control herself, she felt her head moving forward, closer to Jason.

The air in the room seemed to crackle.

Jason was lost. He stared into her wonderfully expressive eyes and continued to move in closer...needing to be closer. Needing to kiss her.

"Here's the hot chocolate!"

The spell that had such a hold on them was instantly broken.

Jason got himself together. Using the side of the couch for leverage, he stood.

"I uh, I brought you some sweat pants and a sweatshirt. They'll probably be a little big, but they're warm." Sonny shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling like he'd interrupted something but not exactly sure what.

"Thanks, Sonny," Elizabeth said, accepting the garments and pulling the sweater over her head.

With a slight smile, Sonny winked at Jason. "Thank Jason. They're his."

Elizabeth was thankful that her face was still concealed within the fabric of the sweatshirt so they couldn't see the red stain that coated her cheeks. She felt the heat rise and mustered the courage to pull the shirt completely down.

"Thanks, Jason. I-I think I better call a cab. They take forever at this time of night and I'm beat."

A small yawn escaped her, only serving to emphasis her point. Darting looks between Sonny and Jason, Elizabeth sunk deeper into the couch, almost like she wanted it to swallow her up.

Seeing the tension was still spread thick between the pair, Sonny tried for a small intervention. "Elizabeth, it's late and you're hurt, why don't you just stay over? We have plenty of room."

"Oh no, Sonny, I couldn't," Elizabeth protested, trying to sit up despite the fact that her body felt heavy and her head spun with the prospect of actually moving.

"I insist. Besides, it's started to snow again and I doubt there's going to be any taxi willing to drive all the way out here. It'll be fine. We'll set you up in one of the rooms upstairs and you can sleep in as late as you want, I promise."

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, that's the best offer I've had all day. I'll stay."

"Great!" Sonny clapped his hands together.

Holding up her hand, she put a temporary halt to Sonny's victory. "On one condition: I stay right where I am."

"You can't sleep there. I'll bet it's not even comfortable."

Shifting around, Elizabeth snuggled deeper into the warm cushions. "Actually, I sleep on a couch at my studio and I'm not used to sleeping in a bed anymore."

"Are you sure?" Sonny saw the look of determination on Elizabeth's face and decided it wasn't worth the fight he was sure to have. "All right, you win. But tomorrow I make a huge breakfast without a single protest. Deal?"

"Deal," Elizabeth said, smiling.

She spared a look at Jason whom she'd almost forgotten was in the room. He stood like a statue, and there was an expression on his face she couldn't read. Dragging her eyes away, she finally realized Sonny had been speaking to her. "I'm sorry, Sonny, what did you say?"

"Do you have plans for Thanksgiving? We'd be more than happy to have you here. In fact, I think Johnny and Francis might be disappointed if you don't come." Sonny's eyes twinkled.

"Oh, I don’t know."

Sonny clasped his stubbly chin between his fingers. "Well, do you have other plans?"

"Not really," Elizabeth said, shrugging her shoulders and brushing the hair from her eyes. "My friend Trisha usually goes home and Lucky is usually busy with his own family, so I never really do anything for Thanksgiving."

She felt compelled to look at the ground. Like her lack of familial relations somehow discredited her as a person. She wasn't going to dare mention that her grandmother always had an elaborate dinner with almost the entire General Hospital staff and never invited her granddaughter for fear she would act “inappropriately” and embarrass her.

"Well, see then, you have no excuse. I won't take no for an answer. You'll really be doing me a huge favor. What'll it be?"

"You've convinced me," she answered, a wide grin spreading from her lips and sparking into her eyes. The truth was, Sonny was doing her the favor and they both knew it.

"Great. Well, Jason'll set you up with blankets and pillows and then we'll get out of your hair."

Her eyes flashed to Jason and her heart began to thud. "Oh, really, that won't be necessary. I'll just use these pillows and if I get cold, I'll just pull down the blanket from the back of the couch. I don't want you to go to any trouble."

"Elizabeth, it's really no trouble."

"Well, I'm just saying, by the time you waste your time finding pillows, I'll already be out cold, so there's really no point."

Sonny shook his head and let out a quiet chuckle. "Breakfast is going to be huge and forget taking it easy. If you can be that stubborn, so can I."

"I prefer tenacious," she joked and watched them leave the room.

Jason turned and looked at her for a brief moment before he rubbed his hand over his face and turned away.

Sonny started up the stairs and Jason followed after him.

Elizabeth waited until she could hear no more movement before she closed her eyes and settled in for the night.

_______

Sonny settled into bed, his chest still slightly wheezy and his skin still a little hot, but overall he was feeling much better. He was sure that in the morning he would be back to normal.

From across the room, he eyed her and damn him if she didn't take his breath away. That bouncy hair. The magical sparkle in her eyes. The magnificent sound of her laughter as it hit his ears. He was one lucky man.

"I'm sorry, Luke, but it looks like Brenda's getting a little lonely over there."

"It doesn't look that way to me," Luke chuckled, pouring another scotch into his friend’s glass. "That boy of yours is getting big."

"Yeah, Brenda got him these walking shoes the other day. She'll stand him up and hold onto his hand and he'll hold himself there for a few minutes, just rocking a little, you know? but I tell you any day now and he's going to get right up and go. Champion runner that boy will be."

"He's a fine boy, Sonny. Must take after his mother." Luke laughed and slid the drink over the bar.

"He must." Sonny smiled and winked at Brenda from across the room. "Listen, before Brenda comes snooping around again for her birthday present, do you think you could hold onto it for me."

"Yeah, sure. What'dya get her this time? More diamonds? Gold?"

"No, something better."

Sonny turned so his back faced Brenda and reached into his coat pocket and took out an envelope and passed it to Luke. Taking the envelope, Luke placed it under the bar.

"With all that's been going on lately with business, the territory and everything else, I thought she deserved to get away for a while. In that envelope are tickets to Puerto Rico. She loves the islands and she wants Dominic to be safe. The thing is I was going to send her there anyway since things are really heating up, but I decided to go with them. I've missed so much time with Dominic already and like you said, he's growing so fast. I just... I don't want to miss anything."

"Sounds like a good plan to me, now you better get over there before Jasper Jacks decides he's not entirely over her."

"Jax is a putz. Although, if it weren't for him, we'd have never found our way back to each other, so I guess I should thank him."

"Like that'll ever happen," Luke scoffed, wiping down the counter.

"You're a wise man. See you, Luke."

"Later."

Drink in hand Sonny strutted over to his wife, with a dimpled grin on his face.

"How's my two favorite people in the whole world doing?"

"The whole world?" Brenda joked. Her laughter filled Sonny's ears like soft music. "We're fine, but he's getting a little fussy, I think he's hungry. I'm going to go out to the limo to feed him."

"What's wrong with right here?"

"I may not be shy, but I'm not going to open up my shirt in a room full of men. My modeling days are over and I really don't want an audience for this. Nope, Dominic and I are going to go and sit in the limo."

"Well, I think you've never looked more beautiful and when Dominic gets a little older, I'm sure if you wanted to, you could have a career again. But personally, I love having my very own hot mamma without all those obnoxious photographers and high-end make-up artists yelling at me not to smudge your make-up."

"Hot mamma?"

"Yeah." He laughed, moving his hand to the small of her back and then up again. "I heard some women over there whispering about how great you look. In fact, they were quite mad that you look as good as you do."

"Right, I'm just starting to get my figure back...well except for these." She laughed, shifting Dominic on her hip and indicating her breasts. "Not that you mind."

Sonny laughed, deep and throaty. "I'm not going to argue."

Dominic began to fuss even more, fisting his hands in Brenda's red dress and softly crying into her shoulder. "I really need to go feed him."

"We could just go home."

"Sonny, it's fine. You stay and enjoy the part. We'll be fine. Won’t we?” she cooed.

"Don't take too long, I get lonely without you," he said softly, kissing her lips lightly and rubbing Dominic's small back.

"You won't even miss us," she joked, running her fingers through the back of his hair, where the curls flipped up near his ear. "I think you need a haircut."

"I need a lot of things Mrs. Corinthos and hopefully I'll get one of them tonight after Dom goes to bed," he drawled, treating her to a goofy, dimpled smile.

"Sonny! Not in front of the b-a-b-y."

"Brenda, the b-a-b-y has no clue what we're talking about, trust me."

"Just remember, you'll be the one paying the therapy bills," she teased, grabbing the diaper bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

Sonny watched right until the door closed and Brenda and Dominic were no longer in sight. Mingling with the various guests--a combination of his and Brenda's friends--he paid little attention to the conversations he was having. He was antsy for Brenda and Dominic to get back so he could finally give her the gift Luke had stored for him. It seemed like they'd been gone for a long time, but then to him, every time his wife and child weren't near him seemed like an eternity.

The light fixtures flickered and the building cried. The sound of breaking glass and metallic being spewed alerted the entire bar that something was happening outside. Men rushed out the doors, leaving their drinks and party favors where they were.

A dense fog of smoke covered the parking lot and dancing flames licked high into the night sky.

The sound of one single piercing scream silenced the crowd. They stood, watched. Unable to do anything, they were paralyzed by the smoke and fire.

Sonny moved through the crowd, aggressively pushing people out of his way. The smoke and debris clouded his eyes and the smell of fire and chemical exhaust permeated the air. Sparks flew at the gathered crowd and even when men tried to hold him back, Sonny moved forward.

Finally busting through the crowd, he could see that there was nothing left, just an orange inferno where his limo was supposed to be. There was no sign of Brenda or his young son.

"Brenda?!" he called, his eyes dulling to the grey smoke.

"Sonny," Johnny warned, pressing his hand to his chest to hold him back. "There's nothing you can do."

"What? Nothing I can- No..." He beat his head with an open palm, whisking his fingers through his dark hair and stepped forward again.

"Come on, come inside."

Stepping forward, he batted away Johnny's hand and not feeling the heat, he struggled toward the heart of the explosion. "Johnny, no! It's not Brenda! Tell me it's not Brenda. Dominic! Where's Dominic?!" Sonny pounded on the bodyguard's chest when he pulled him back.

"Sonny, I'm sorry."

"No! Dammit, Johnny, where are they?!" Disbelief etched the lines of Sonny's soot-stained face.

Eyes to the ground, Johnny shook his head. "They're gone, Sonny."

Fear and anger radiated from Sonny's dark brown eyes.

"No!"

Kicking at the wooden supports of the entry way, his foot protested the endless strikes. He wouldn't have stopped had he not caught the glimmer of some object from the corner of his eye. Throwing off his suit jacket and beating back the flames with it, he crouched down and scooped up the half-charred rattle. It was still hot but he didn’t feel the heat.

"Dominic," he whispered so softly no one heard him and he wondered if he'd even said it aloud.

"Come on, Sonny, sit down," Johnny persuaded, ushering him inside the club and toward the bar.

"I-I..."

Putting a reassuring hand on Sonny's back, Johnny tried to push Sonny into a chair.

"Sit down. It's all right."

Sonny's eyes turned black. He paid no attention to the steady stream of moisture running down his face.

"It's not all right. Nothing is ever going to be all right again."

He waved his hand in the air, gesturing wildly, wanting to hit something, but unable to find a target. Swiping at his nose, he turned around and studied the room with unseeing eyes.

Luke poured a drink and handed it over to the bodyguard who held it out to Sonny. "Here, drink this. It'll calm you down."

"Calm me down? How the fuck do you expect me to be calm when my wife and child..." Sonny stopped, strained to see through his blurred vision and took a breath as if fully taking in what he was about to say, "my wife and child are dead." He held the rattle tight in his hand and refused to let it go.

"Sonny."

"They're dead, God dammit! And it should have been me!" he yelled and hurled the glass of scotch at the wall. The crystal and ice cracked along the wall, bounced off the floor and then skidded to a stop near his foot. Picking up a shard he pressed it inside his palm, not feeling the pressure when his skin broke and his blood began to trail down his arm.

"It should have been me!" he cried, collapsing onto the floor, blood and scotch covering his clothing and skin.

Sonny sat up, pupils dilated and sweat soaking through the light undershirt he wore. Looking around the room, he tried to regain focus, to wipe away the bad memories that had drenched his brain and caused his skin to break out in chills. He knew he had a fever. He could feel the heat and moisture radiating from his skin. But he was, as he always was, alone. His baby boy was still dead and his wife--his soft, gentle, beautiful wife--still dead, too.

Stumbling out of bed, he reached for the brown, worn bathrobe he kept on the back of a desk chair and struggled into it.

Once upon a time, when the sun went down and the weather cooled off, Sonny used to sleep. Back then he didn't need sleeping pills to slumber. He could make it through an entire night without a nightmare. Once upon a time, when the rains came leading into summer and the grass grew tall and the taste of strawberries and chocolate filled a grown woman's palate, Sonny knew peace. Something as simple as canning tomatoes and the taste of sweet peaches ripe from the tree and if the weather would hold up another day, were careless worries. Once upon a time, when a new baby learned how to crawl and proud parents applauded every effort, when making love under the stars and stealing kisses in the morning was allowed, Sonny was happy.

Those days were gone.

What replaced them were vivid, fresh waves of the same scenario that he could never get out of his head. When he dreamed, everything seemed real. The adrenaline rushed through his system and his fingers and palms ached from cuts long scarred. His breath was never quite free and his lungs never quite filled, his head never stopped pounding and his heart never stopped hurting. And when he awoke he was still alone.

Always alone.

Dismally alone.

Gripping the handrail, he made it down each step, a little unsteady on his feet.

Sitting up, Elizabeth yawned a few times and wrapped the blanket around herself. Hearing movement on the stairs, she held her breath hoping it was Sonny and not Jason. She wasn't entirely sure what she would do if it was Jason, but if it was, she knew they wouldn't make it through the night without a kiss.

When she saw Sonny peek his head around the corner, her heart dropped back to a normal rate and she wiped her sweaty palms on the blanket.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Shaking his head, Sonny replied, "No. What are you doing up?"

Not sure whether she was happy it wasn't Jason or not, she shook her head. "I just woke up. I'm not sure why." She didn't think telling Sonny that she couldn't stop thinking about Jason was necessary information. "Now, you be honest and tell me why you're up this late."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not feeling well. I can see that you're still sick."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'm not as good a faker as I thought."

Elizabeth eyed him skeptically. "Wait, there's something else. Sonny, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You have this look. It's the same look I saw when we were at the top of the hill...when we were at Brenda's..." She let her voice trail off when she saw that Sonny had that faraway look again. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh, I-I just don't sleep that much. I'm fine, really."

"I'm a good listener," she said quietly.

"I don't doubt that."

"Probably not as good as Jason, but I promise not to judge."

Nodding his head, Sonny motioned over his shoulder to the kitchen. "Why don't I make us some tea and we can talk?"

"Sure, tea sounds good."

________

He'd been seduced into her world of coppery paints and dull pencils. And now he couldn't sleep just thinking about the flecks of charcoal that sometimes hide under her nails or the splatter of paint he'd sometimes notice wound in her curly locks. He knew there would be no sleep when she was one floor under him. Hell, there would be no sleep just because she was in the same damn house as him, large as it was.

After thinking it over, he could not find the moment, the exact time, when Elizabeth Webber stole something from him.

She'd taken his heart.

Took it without asking. Just plucked it from his chest without warning and now he had to live with the consequences.

He could do without money. That was never something that appealed to him. And he could do without words, but he didn't know what to do now that the sinking feeling had left his chest. Now that he could breathe again, what was he supposed to do?

He hadn't felt so alive in years. When was the last time he had to ride the cliff road, or punish himself with a brutal run? The answer escaped him, but he was pretty sure it hadn't been recently.

So what was he supposed to do with these new found feelings? As of late, all he was capable of was wrestling with his conscience. Tossing and turning, he was thinking about it so much.

On the one hand, he knew he should stay detached, but on the other, he didn't want to. For several years he'd been denying himself happiness and here was this woman who inspired him and frustrated him and confused him.

He wanted more.

More inspiration.

More confusion.

Hell, even more frustration.

Just more.

But what about his past? What about the fact that he was poison and that anyone that got near him seemed to get hurt? He knew it was a risk too great to take. She'd wind up hurt...or worse. And he'd wind up alone all over again.

Still, she was sleeping in a house that was foreign to her. It couldn't have been very comfortable on that old couch. He decided there was no harm in checking up on her.

Throwing the covers off of his lean body, Jason stepped off the bed and sauntered down the hall in the dark. He could hear voices coming from the living room. Jason stalled on the landing and listened.

"...and then what did you do?"

"I threw up all over my teacher's desk. I was so humiliated! For the rest of the year all the kids called me Bethie “barf-face” Webber. To this day, if I hear someone call me Beth or Bethie, I just want to curl up and hide!"

Elizabeth and Sonny laughed.

Taking a sip from his cup, Sonny was about to speak when he heard the floorboard creak and looked up to find Jason at the entryway to the room.

"Jason," Sonny said, motioning for him to come into the room.

Elizabeth's eyes went wide with embarrassment.

"Elizabeth and I were just having a late-night chat. Did you know she won her fourth grade spelling bee with the word elegiac? I don't even know what that means let alone how to spell it!"

Jason stood, dressed in little more than a pair of blue pajama bottoms worn so thin, she could see through them to the black boxer briefs he had on underneath. Whoa! His mouth was firm and his jaw set. Neither male seemed to mind his present state of undress and she supposed if she tried to concentrate real hard, she could make it seem like it didn't affect her either. Squeezing her eyes tightly, and then blinking rapidly she tried to think of something to clear her mind of the dirty images that had set up camp.

"Come and sit down," Elizabeth said softly, motioning to the spot beside her on the couch.

Jason seemed to hesitate at first, but then padded to the couch and sat as far as he could from her. Any closer and he was afraid he just might give into any sudden impulses that might arise, especially if she didn't stop looking at him like that...like she wanted him.

"Wow, what time is it? It must be late." Sonny yawned.

Elizabeth mimicked him. "I have no idea, but I'm about ready to drop." She avoided Jason's gaze at all costs and focused on her empty mug. "Maybe more tea would help. I'll just-"

"Oh, let me," Sonny said eagerly, standing with a new sort of bounce to his step.

Lifting her eyes to look at Jason, Elizabeth offered him a small smile. "Do you mind if I lay down?"

Shaking his head no, Jason watched her attempt to move without bumping her leg. He thought of helping, but that would involve touching her and he wasn't entirely sure he could handle that.

Elizabeth stretched out on the couch, her small foot just barely brushing Jason's thigh. Her head almost reached the end of the couch if not braced by a fluffy pillow. Yawning loudly, she covered her mouth and let out a murmured sorry from closed lids. Hard as she tried to keep her eyes open, there was no stopping the droop of her dark lashes against her clean, milky cheek.

Jason watched while she fought the sleep she seemed to need desperately and a small smile played on his full lips. Twisting to get more comfortable her arm fell to the floor and her tiny hand splayed into the minute fibers of the carpet. Her lips twitched slightly and then her chest rose and fell with the momentum from her heavy breaths.

She was asleep.

Standing, Jason took a few tentative steps closer and reached for the quilt that had been abandoned on the floor. He spread the blanket over her body, frowning slightly at how little room she took up. Kneeling, he scanned the room once over and then back again before he lifted his hand to her cheek and ran a finger over the scratches on her face. Leaning over her, he gave one last look around, just to be sure Sonny was still in the kitchen, and with gentleness that would break any woman's heart he kissed away the small crease in her forehead. She let out a small sigh and burrowed further into the cushions.

God help him, he couldn't imagine another day without her.

Settling himself in a comfortable chair, he turned it until it faced her and then he relaxed into it and stretched out his feet. Crossing his arms over his broad, bare chest, he barely paid notice when Sonny walked by with a triumphant smile on his face and kept going up the stairs without a word.